Gervonta Davis Vs. Ryan Garcia Fight Odds, Prediction & Best Bet
Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, the most explosive boxers in the lighter divisions, will finally meet inside the ring on April 22, 2023 for a 136-pound catchweight bout.
Both fighters head into the fight with unblemished records. Davis, known as “Tank,” is 28-0 with 26 victories by knockout. “KingRy” Garcia is 23-0 with 19 knockouts.
The upcoming fight settles a longstanding war of words as both have been clamoring for the fight publicly—but the fighter with the last word? That will be determined on April 22.
Davis-Garcia Press Conference
Davis, a 28-year-old southpaw, is a tough matchup for anybody. He often dangles his jab to hold his opponents at bay and lull them to sleep before exploding with a flurry of power.
The ever-confident Baltimore, Maryland native was more reserved than usual during the first pre-fight presser on March 8 but said he was looking forward to returning to the ring.
“It’s going to be tough,” said Davis. “But this is what we came to do. We want big fights.”
Davis also spoke on the significance of the fight. Boxing has long been criticized for missed so-called “super fights,” whether that be Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao waiting until they were near the end of their careers to fight, or Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who hold all four heavyweight titles between them, failing to reach an agreement to fight.
“Many young fighters don’t fight each other,” said Davis. “We both made our names coming up, and the time is now. All I have to do is keep working and beat whoever they put in front of me. That starts with Ryan Garcia.”
Garcia took a different approach to pre-fight chatter. He made sure the media and at-home viewers knew exactly how he felt.
“He’s looking for a way out, and I’m not gonna give him one,” said Garcia. “I’m ready for him, I’m gonna beat him, imma take everything from him.”
Gervonta Davis Record, Stats & Height
- Height: 5’5
- Reach: 67.5 in.
- Record: 28-0 (26 KOs)
Davis is only five-foot-five, but he packs a wallop. He has one of the strongest punches amongst any fighter in the lower divisions. His outstanding movement allows him to constantly change angles and find the best spot to land his crushing blows.
Where Davis could run into trouble is that he becomes more stationary as the fight progresses. Since he is going against the taller and longer Garcia, he will need to keep his feet moving to get on the inside without becoming easy to parry away.
Ryan Garcia Record, Stats & Height
- Height: 5’10
- Reach: 70 in.
- Record: 23-0 (19 KOs)
Garcia has some of the fastest hands in the world. He uses that elite speed to quickly break his opponents down, if not send them to sleep prematurely. Despite being an orthodox fighter, his most devastating punch is his fierce left hook.
On the other hand, Garcia’s defense has room for improvement. He has a problem tucking his chin, which exposes him to punches, especially the jab. Davis uses a jab effectively. He also takes the full force of many punches that other defensive specialists would take the sting off of, if not avoid entirely, as seen when Luke Campbell got him on the ground.
Who’s the Betting Favorite?
FanDuel Sportsbook has Davis as a -280 moneyline favorite to win the fight and Garcia as a +205 underdog. That means there is a 73.68% implied probability that Davis wins and a 26.32% chance that Garcia secures the victory.
Davis’ last fight on Jan. 7, 2023 ended after the eighth round via retirement when his opponent, Héctor García, refused to come out for the ninth round. Davis smashed García with a pair of looping shots just before the bell and did enough damage to end the fight.
Garcia has been out of the ring for much longer. His last fight was against Javier Fortuna on July 16, 2022, which he won via sixth-round knockout. The decisive blow was a three-piece combo capped off by a left-hand straight to the temple.
Garcia recently claimed that there’s a rehydration clause in his agreement with Davis that says he cannot eat or drink water three days out of the week “for [Davis’] comfortability.”Although fighters are used to putting their bodies through extreme measures to make weight, the long-term effects, if the clause is real, could reduce Garcia’s energy and strength on fight night.
Both fighters are explosive. The phrase “a puncher’s chance” is attributed to underdogs that are inferior in talent and skill but have devastating power. In this fight, there is no such thing because nearly every punch from both fighters can be the one that ends the fight.
Davis will have work to do to get past Garcia’s reach, but the latter’s upright chin and loose guard should give “Tank” the opening he needs to get inside and do the business. Don’t discount Garcia from using his lightning-fast hand speed to catch Davis in the later rounds if the fight lasts long enough and if Davis’ cardio is suspect as it has been in the past.
Anyone interested in betting on the fight can also predict the method of victory, what round the fight will end, and which fighter will win a particular round. A knockout is the most-likely method of victory for both fighters, and a draw is the least-likely outcome, per the odds.
Prediction: Davis by points or decision (+600)
